Roller for conveyer furnaces



Nov. 26, 1935. J. FALLON ROLLER FOR CONVEYER FURNACES Filed Dec. 14,1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l NOV. 26, 1935. FALLQN ROLLER FOR CONVEYER FURNACESFiled Dec. 14, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITEDSTATES ROLLER FOR CONVEYEK FURNACES John Fallon, Birmingham, EnglandApplication December 14, 1934, Serial No. 757,419 In Great BritainDecember 15, 1933;

3 Claims.

My invention has reference to improvements in connection with rollersfor conveyer furnaces.

The present invention consists firstly in a roller for use in a conveyerfurnace, which roller is of a composite construction comprising a seriesof metallic discs and a series of refractory insulating membersassembled in alternated relation on a shaft, the shaft preferably beingprovided at one or at each end with a pressure device 101 adapted tomaintain the alternated series of discs and refractory members inposition.

The invention further consists in a roller for use in a conveyerfurnace, which roller is of a composite construction comprising a seriesof metallic spacing discs and a series of refractory insulating sectionsassembled in closely alternated relation on a tubular shaft, saidsections being characterized by refractory outer tubes in combinationwith insulating tubular liners, and said shaft being fitted at one or ateach end with a pressure device adapted to maintain the alternatedseries of discs and tubes in position; still further features of theinvention being that the refractory outer tubes are of interlockingsegmental block formation, and that the webof each metallic spacing discis formed with inward-- ly open radial slots and intervening radialbearing fingers, and with lips disposed in concentric inner and outerannular series on opposite sides of said fingers for locating support ofthe insulating tubular liners and of the component segmental blocks ofthe refractory outer tubes.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into practice, reference may be had to the appended explanatorydrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional end elevation of a conveyer furnace of rollerhearth type having the present improvements applied.

Figure 2 is a detail View of a composite roller shown in longitudinalsection.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the metallic spacing discs.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the component segmental blocksof the refractory outer tube sections.

In a convenient method of carrying the invention into effect, as appliedto a conveyer furnace of the roller hearth type having live rollersdisposed transversely in parallelly spaced spaced relation from end toend of the furnace and having over and under firing, the rollers are ofa. composite disc and tube construction built up on air or water cooledtubular shafts a mounted in external ball-bearings b, the entire set ofrollers being externally geared for rotation at conveying speeds bymeans of worm wheels c on the respective shafts in conjunction with alongi-. 5 tudinal worm shaft d driven by a variable speed motor.- In theconstruction of the rollers a spaced series of discs e, formed fromheat-resisting metal or metallic alloy, is mounted upon each of thetubular shafts a, each of these discs 6 hav- 10 ing an integral tyre c1of narrow flat formation and a reduced web e which is formed withinwardly open radial slots e and intervening radial bearing fingers edisposed in star formation. The fingers are further formed on each ofthe opposite faces of the disc with inner and outer series of lips eand. e disposed in concentric annular formation.

These metallic discs e provide a means of locating and spacing therefractory insulating roller sections. Each of these sections consistsof an outer tube 1 of interlocking segmental block formation, embracedbetween an adjacent pair of discs e in locating engagement between thetwo outer series of lips e and the two peripheral tyres e in combinationwith a coaxial tubular liner g likewise embraced between the pair ofdiscs e in locating engagement between the inner and outer series oflips e and e. The component blocks f of the outer tube sections 1 aremade of a high quality refractory material having a low coefficient ofexpansion, andhave interlocking longitudinal joints provided for exampleby ribs h and grooves i, whilst the tubular liner sections 9 are formedfrom a suitable granular or powdered calcined refractory insulatingmaterial.

In practice the barrels of these composite rollers are made somewhatlonger than the effective width of the furnace chamber a. The ends ofthe rollers enter into cylindrical holes is in the side walls of thefurnace and are therefore protected by the walls from direct impingementof heat or furnace gases. The holes is are of sufiicient diameter tomaintain an easy working clearance for the rotating live rollers.

The central tubular shaft a of the composite roller is fitted at one orat each end, between the end bearing 1) and the end of the rollerbarrel, with a-double set of discs Z m. The outer disc I is screwed orotherwise rigidly and adjustably mounted on the shaft a, while the innerdisc m. has a sliding clearance, so that by the introduction of screwcompression fittings n between these inner and outer discs Z 711., thealternated series of metallic discs e and refractory insulating sections1 g of which the live roller barrel is composed can be maintained underconstant compression to any desired degree.

It will be seen that by reason of the compound tubular form of therefractory insulating sections of the roller, in conjunction with theradially slotted and fingered form of the metallic spacing discs, therequisite highly refractory peripheral bearing surface for the materialunder treatment, for example the metal sheets 0, is

ensured without liability to, excessive loss of heat by drainage throughthe central shaft a. In this way, or roller is provided which combinesthe maximum heat-insulating efiiciency with the requisite heat-resistingquality of the refractory sections, whilst it will further be seen thatboth the refractory blocks and the metallic spacing discs can beassembled and disassembled with great facility, and that the workinglife of the metallic discs is considerably increased.

1. A roller for use in a conveyer furnace comprising a series ofmetallic spacing discs and a series of refractory insulating sectionsassembled in closely alternated relation on a tubular shaft, saidsections being characterized by refractory outer tubes of interlockingsegmental block formation in combination with insulating tubular liners,the web of each said disc being formed with inwardly open radial slotsand intervening radial bearing fingers and with lips disposed inconcentric inner and outer annular series on opposite sides of saidfingers for locating support of the insulating tubular liners and of thecomponent segmental blocks of the re- 5 fractory outer tubes, and. saidshaft being fitted with a pressure device adapted to maintain thealternated series of discs and tubes in positon.

2. A metallic spacing disc for a conveyer furnace roller of a compositemetallic and refractory insulating construction, wherein the web of saiddisc is formed with inwardly open radial slots and intervening radialbearing fingers, and with lips disposed in concentric inner and outerannular series on opposite sides of said fingers for locating support ofthe refractory insulating sections of the roller.

3. In a roller for use in a conveyer furnace, the combination with atubular shaft, of a plurality of spaced metal discs and a plurality ofrefractory insulating sections assembled with said discs in closelyalternating relation on said shaft, said section comprising refractoryouter tubes composed of circumferentially disposed segmental blocksformed with interlocking joints extending

